A self-described Zen anarchist, writer-director John Milius was called far worse by friend and foe – everything from a self-styled fusion of Hemingway and Genghis Khan to the Hermann Goering of film directors. Such pat labels, however, failed to convey the depth and emotion on display in a Milius film, despite his unquenchable thirst for militarism and glorification of violence. Whether taking audiences on a journey into man’s heart of darkness during the Vietnam War or depicting the uncommon friendship of two plebian soldiers from the Roman Empire, Milius made some of Hollywood’s most
Moved from St. Louis to L.A. with his family at age seven upon his father's retirement from a successful career as a shoe manufacturer (date approximate)
As a student at USC, made his first short student film, "Marcello, I'm So Bored", a spoof of Italian art-house films
Won an International Student Film Festival Award for an animated short
1967
Began career as assistant to Lawrence Gordon at American International Pictures (AIP)
1968
Feature screenplay debut, "The Devil's Eight", a prison drama (co-written by Willard Huyck)
